Divided
by Jisa
Summary: Two children with a destiny. Twins separated at birth. One, taken by his father to be make into a weapon. The other abandoned at an orphanage. Will they ever meet each other? And will they ever find their true purpose?
1. Prologue

Hey!! This is my first ever story!! Yay! I finally wrote it. Well If you're reading this I thank you soooo much! Please review and make my day a little better. :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King... Sniff or the characters...

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Prologue

A woman screamed. Her screams and moans of pain had been echoing throughout the large mansion all night. She had been in labor for fourteen hours. Finally, with one last groan, a child was born.

"What is it?" asked the father. "A boy or a girl?"

"A boy," answered the midwife. "A healthy boy with brown hair and brown eyes."

"Give him to me," the father ordered. The midwife handed the baby to him. "He does not look special," he said while frowning.

The mother screamed again. The midwife hurried over to her.

"There's another child!" she said, sounding shocked. "But she's bleeding too much."

The father did not seem to hear the woman's words. All of his attention was on the crying child in his arms. "It is so hard to believe that this child will make me millions."

"Lord Asakura," Maria, the midwife said. "Your wife and unborn child are dying!"

"Save my wife if you can," he said, still staring at his son. "Kill the second child. I cannot have it polluting my son." He started to walk out of the room.

"No. Hao," the mother said weakly. "Please… Please… don't take him. He needs to be with Yoh!"

"Hmmm, that was right. You wanted to name him Hao. Very well, my dear wife, since you served me so well and gave him to me, I will grant one of your requests. I'll name the boy Hao." He left the room, chuckling to himself. As he walked down the hall, he called out, "Oh, Maria, make sure you kill the other child."

The mother gasped again; tears poured down her cheeks. "Please," she cried, looking at Maria.

"It's all right, Lady Asakura. I'll do my best to protect your other child. I may not be able to save Hao but I won't let him hurt this baby."

"Yoh, his name is Yoh."

"Yoh, then. I'll protect Yoh."

Five minutes later Yoh was born. His mother looked at him, smiled sadly, and gave one last shuddering breath. Yoh was strangely quiet as his mother died; as if he knew his life was at risk. He did not cry as most new born babies do.

Maria sniffed, cradling Yoh in her arms. A tear dripped off her cheek and landed on the baby.

"Well, then. Let's see about keeping that promise I made to your mother." Maria wrapped the baby up in a blanket and quietly left the mansion. She took the next train to anywhere; she just wanted to get Yoh as far away from his father as possible that night. Several hours later she got off the train and started looking up numbers for orphanages.

She brought Yoh to one and handed him to a very surprised attendant. "Miss!" the attendant yelled.

"I'll try to visit him," Maria called out to the startled woman. "His name is Yoh!" She quickly left.

When she arrived back home the children's father asked if she had killed Yoh. She nervously said yes.

"Good," he said and pulled out a gun and shot her.

"But… Sir," she whispered as the blood dripped down the front of her.

"I can't have you telling anyone, now can I?"

Maria collapsed to the floor as the strength drained out of her along with her blood. _No, _she thought. _Who will look after Yoh? _That was her last thought as she died.

Somewhere in the night, Yoh cried for the first time.

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Well that's it! You like? I hope so. Now you need to push that little button and review. :)

I'll upload more later when I have more time but it will be within the week! Have a nice day! :D


	2. Chapter 1 Broken

Hey!! Here's the next chapter! Hope you like it!

**Disclaimer: **I, ,do not own Shaman King...

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15 Years Later

Hao snapped his eyes open. He felt his father approaching. He knew that if his father caught him asleep there would be hell to pay. _As if I'm not in hell already, _Hao thought. Just as he stood up out of his bed, the door slammed open.

"You, boy. We have a job to do," said his father. Then he left.

Hao let out a huge sigh. "we have a job" always meant "you have to something to make me money." What that something was varied. It could be stealing important files, being a bodyguard, reading someone's thoughts, or even killing someone. And he could do any of those things and more.

He was "blessed", as his father says, or cursed, as Hao says, with Power. He could read people's thoughts. He was bombarded with a constant stream of what ever the people around him happen to be thinking. And he could not shut them out. Those thoughts drove him insane. It scared him to think that humans could think up such horrible things like some of the thoughts he has heard. The only thoughts that did not flow uncontrollably into his mind were those of his father. He could read his father's mind if he tied, but after one episode when he was eight he will never try again. He had nightmares for months after. His father's mind was like a dark hole. You just fall into is and feel like you will never come out.

The rest of his Powers were equally destructive. And destructive was just the right word for them, for that was what he did. He destroyed things. He could blow up a car with a thought or disintegrate it with a touch. He hated it, His Power, his father, and himself. He wished he had the courage to kill himself. It would certainly do the world some good. But he was too weak Too broken. His father could claim responsibility for that. When Hao was younger, he would often be trained be his father. Which would often involve Hao beaten and bloody for no reason at all.

At a meeting Hao and his father attended, one of the men there remarked on how well behaved Hao was. His father replied, "You must break them at an early age." _How can you break something that was never fixed in the first place, _Hao thought. That was his life; jobs "training", and pain.

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There it is! Sorry it's so short... Please review! Have a nice day!! And THANKS so much to everyone who reviewed! I love y'all!!


	3. Chapter 2 Family

Yay! Another chapter!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Shaman King..., but if anyone wants to give it to me as a graduation present...?

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Family

"Yoh. Yoh, wake up," a soft voice called, waking Yoh from his dreams. He had been having the same dream he has had all his life. A boy is crying out to him. He is all alone and in pain. And Yoh cannot reach him no matter how hard he tries.

"Wuh?" Yoh said sleepily, while looking around. He was lying in a nest of blankets, pillows, and children.

The voice that had awoken him belonged to Ren, Yoh's best friend. Ren was the same age as Yoh, just a little bit shorter, and had the same body build. He had dark purple hair and a beautiful pair of gold eyes that were currently looking at the sleepy Yoh. He was dressed in his usual sleeveless T-shirt and baggy pants; which, according to him allowed the greatest range of movement in a fight.

"What time is it?" asked Yoh.

"Six o-clock," answered Ren. "We have a job today, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. I'll wake up Anna and get ready." Yoh climbed out of the messy but cozy tangle of kids. The all slept together, all seven of them, for warmth because the rundown apartment in which they lived had no power, let alone heat. So they gathered all of the blankets and mattresses and made one large bed to sleep on. The younger kids in the middle and the older on the outside.

There were seven of them. They were Yoh's gang and the only way to survive in this world was to be rich or to associate yourself with a powerful gang. Any weaker gangs were swallowed up by the stronger ones. Fortunately for them, they had become one of the stronger gangs, and a very respected one, as well. And the reason for that was Yoh.

_Yeah, _thought Ren. _The reason any of us are even alive is because of Yoh._ Yoh had brought them together and he had kept them together. _And that's why I own him my life and loyalty._ Yoh had a Power and that Power was the reason no one would dare mess with them. It was the reason they actually had a place to live and food to eat.

_Yoh could rule the world if he wanted to, but no. All he wants is to live a quiet, peaceful life with his friends. Well, I guess he wouldn't be Yoh if he wanted to do something else. _Ren smiled slightly as Yoh climbed out of the bed, taking care not to step on anyone. He stopped by Anna and gently shook her shoulder. Anna raised her blond head and looked at Yoh with her dark eyes.

"Ren and I are going out. You'll look after things around here, right?" Yoh asked her. Anna nodded. "All right, Ren, just let me get dressed. Then we'll leave."

Yoh carefully stepped over the sleeping children. He smiled as he looked at them. He loved them dearly. They were his family. Lauren and Jared, the only ones who were actually related, were sprawled on top of Horo Horo. Mickale had somehow managed to evade the dog pile of kids and slept, curled up, nearby. Anna had already left the bed and was getting changed in the bathroom.

And that was them, his family. They were the reason he got up every morning to go do jobs with Ren. They kept him sane. Ren, Anna, Horo Horo, Mickale, Lauren, and Jared, they were his life.

Anna came out of the bathroom; her long blond hair had been pulled back with a red bandana and she wore a simple black dress. Yoh grinned broadly at her. She raised on eyebrow at him; giving him a look that said, are you insane? She handed him a stack of clothes.

"Thanks, Anna," Yoh said. Anna just walked over to Horo Horo and gave him a light kick.

"Wake up," she ordered. "You need to get breakfast ready."

Horo moaned. "Five more minutes."

Yoh chuckled and walked into the bathroom. They had lived in their apartment for the past five years. Thankfully it had not been burnt down yet, as their last home had been. It was small, run down, and had no electricity. It did, however, have water and a working sewage system. It had two rooms. A main room, where everyone slept and did other random things, and the bathroom, which had a sink, a working toilet, and a not-so-working bathtub. Ren and Yoh had even built a closet, which held their emergency supply of food and water and where they put the extra bedding during the summer.

In Yoh's eyes it was perfect. Much better than that orphanage he had run away from seven years ago.

He finished getting dressed and walked out of the bathroom, while setting a pair of large, orange headphones on his head. He did not have the time or the battery power to listen to his music often, but when things were going really bad the music gave him a break from the troubles of life. Yoh walked over to Ren, who was looking out of the lonely window in the apartment.

"Ready to go?" Yoh asked.

"Of course," Ren answered. His hair had already been jelled into a single spike, which was the way he liked to fix it when they went out on jobs.

"Anna, we'll pick up dinner on the way back and that should be…when?" Yoh looked at Ren.

"Around two; unless something goes wrong:

Yoh laughed. "Don't worry. Everything'll work out." Ren just shook his head.

Yoh walked up to the door, with Ren closely behind him. He stopped just in front of it, slowly closed his eyes, and took down the Barrier that had protected them throughout the night and would later protect Anna and the kids while he and Ren were out. Once the Barrier was down, the two older boys stepped through the door. After they were through, Yoh replaced the barrier. _That will keep them safe, _Yoh thought with a smile. He grinned at Ren and said, "Lead the way." He and Ren make their way to the next job.

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Hey everyone! I'm so happy! I got three reviews! Yay! I'm sorry about the wait for chapter one and two. I'll try to get three out faster and it'll have more action.

Here's some stuff about the story that might clear some things up.

First, this story has nothing to do with Shaman King. It just has some of the great characters (like Yoh and Hao XD) in it. And I may have changed their personlities a little. Sorry!

Second, the story does not take place in America or Japan. It's in a country I made invented. It's really messed up. There is a lot of poverty and fighting. And the governemnt is really corupt.

Third, there will be a lot of fantacy stuff in here. Like magic and deamons and stuff. ;D

That's about it. THANKS to all the people who review! Love y'all!!

And to you who don't you really need to! :D Have a nice day!


	4. Chapter 3 Healer

Oh, wow! I have seven reviews! Seven! Yay! Y'all make me so happy! Here's another chapter!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the wonderful-series-that-everyone-should-buy Shaman King...

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Healer

The biting cold wind blew a hurricane of trash down the street as Yoh fallowed Ren to their next job. They both pulled their thin jackets closer to them for warmth. _It's soooo cold! _thought Yoh. _I'll have to get the kids some warmer clothes. I think there's a cold front coming through_.

Suddenly the horribly familiar sound of a gun shot rang through the air. Yoh and Ren both jumped. Yoh started to turn toward the sound when Ren caught his arm.

"Yoh. Stop. You can't save everyone," Ren said softly.

Yoh just looked at him sadly. "Yeah, I know. Sorry." They walked on.

"So, where are we going?" Yoh asked Ren.

"To the power plant. Howard's in big trouble. He was nearly in tears when he came to me yesterday. Says Lord Harasuke threatened to kill him if he doesn't get the power back by seven this morning."

"Oh, so that's why you woke me up so early? Hmmm. Well, we'll just have to get the power back on then." Yoh frowned. He greatly disapproved of killing.

There was only one power plant in the city. But it only provided power to a fourth of the city. And that section of the city was controlled by Lord Harasuke, the only person who could afford electricity.

The rest of Aria, the city that Yoh and his family lived in, was controlled by gangs. Yoh's gang controlled only about two blocks; however, it was the most peaceful part of Aria.

Ren suddenly tensed up; he stopped. Ryu's gang had appeared in the street ahead of them.

"Yoh!" Ryu called. "What are you doing in my territory?!"

"Calm down, Ryu," Yoh said soothingly. "We are not here to fight. We need to get to the power plant as soon as possible and that means cutting through your area. I'm sorry but Howard's in trouble."

Ryu snorted. "You'll have to pay up then or-"

"We aren't paying anything!" Ren cut in. "Yoh and I can whip your asses and you know it. Now let us through!"

"Please, Ren," Yoh said. "I really would rather-"

"Oh, so the great Yoh is scared of fighting a few people? Ha! I've never seen you fight and I don't believe all the stupid stories about you. Let's go, boys! Show 'im who's in charge around here!"

"Wah! Are they crazy?" Ren said as Ryu and his gang started surrounding them. "They can't beat-" Yoh grabbed Ren's arm.

"Stay close to me," he said, walking in the direction of the power plant. Ren nodded. He knew what that command meant. Yoh was going to use his Power.

Five of Ryu's member charged them. Yoh continued to calmly walk; however, just as their opponents were within kicking range, Yoh spun his hand in a small circle, then flipped it palm up and push up slightly. A Barrier quickly flowed out of Yoh, surrounding him and Ren.

Ryu's attacking gang member slammed into it. Yoh winced slightly at the impact but continued walking; his hand still held up. Ren stayed close to Yoh. He had done this before and knew that Yoh could only extent the Barrier so far before is began to seriously wear him out.

Ryu just stared. The rest of his gang looked at their leader nervously.

"Just let them go," he said. "We can't beat him."

Yoh looked behind him, smiled kindly, and said thank you. He then lowered his hand. The Barrier slowly faded.

Finally, they made it to the power plant. It was in the middle of the city at the edge of Ryu's, Lord Harasuke's, and Lucas's territories. Howard, the plant's manager, was waiting out front for them.

He practically leaped at Yoh. "Thank God you're here! My deadline is in thirty minutes!"

Yoh smiled at him. "Where's the problem?"

"Here! I'll show you. It's in the generator room."

Howard let them into a large room full of machinery. Yoh walked up to the largest one. Ren followed and kept watch. While Yoh used his Power for fixing things he was very vulnerable.

Yoh closed his eyes and reached out to touch the generator. He focused his mind through his hand and into the generator. He could feel it. It was old, tired. It could almost speak to him. _Don't worry. I'll fix you up,_ Yoh thought.

He willed the broken parts together. He added his own energy as a catalyst for the chemical reactions that would bind the parts back together. The generator started clanking and banging as it began to operate.

Yoh used more of his energy in the worn areas, braking down the rust and the wear, making everything like new again. The machine started to emit the smooth, humming sound of a well tuned machine.

Yoh opened his eyes and collapsed as a wave of exhaustion hit him. Luckily, Ren had been waiting for that and caught him before he hit the floor. Yoh smiled weakly at Ren as he slowly lowered him to the floor to rest.

Howard dropped to his knees in front of Yoh.

"Oh wow, Yoh. You saved my life. And now not only fixed the problem but now it runs better than when my father owned it. I can't thank you enough. If there is ever anything I can do please tell me! You have my loyalty," Howard said with tears in his eyes.

Yoh just smiled a huge smile full of kindness. The kind that light up the world and make just make you feel good. "You have thanked me plenty already. Just continue to live your life the best way you can."

Howard nodded. _Wow, _he thought. _What a wonderful person. He is truly what everyone calls him. A Healer of anything._

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Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to make it so worth it the write this by reviewing!

A special thanks to soshixrain for updating twice! Here is a longer update for you!

And thanks to Me-Mishubish for saying my story is awesome and you love it!

The next chapter will be a long one about Hao!

And if you find some problems with my story please tell me so I can fix it!

Have a nice Day!


	5. Chapter 4 Boy

Hey! Sorry for the wait! Yeah, I said this one was going to be long... Shame on me. Well, here's the next one! Hope you like it. :D

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King but if I did Hao would be good and Yoh would be way tougher.**

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Boy

The engine started up with a low rumble. Hao was sitting in the back of a limo with his father and Nathan, the family's secretary and his father's bodyguard.

They were on the way to a meeting with Lord Harasuke, who lived in Aria, two hours away. Hao's job was to read Harasuke's mind while his father was talking to him. Hao had to make sure he was telling the truth and tell his father when he was not.

This was a business meeting. Harasuke should be in control of Aria; however, most of the city was run by different gangs. As a result, Harasuke could not pay back the money he owed Hao's father.

Hao was nervous. If this meeting did not go well, he would have to kill Harasuke and he did not want to do that.

The ride to Aria was horrible. Hao's father talked with Nathan the entire way, leaving Hao to his thoughts. Which was not what Hao wanted. He hated being left alone with his memories and nightmares. He preferred not to think about the things he has done. That always led to him thinking about what he was going to have to do.

_Finally, _Hao thought as the limo drove through the entranceway of the Harasuke mansion; which, while large, was not even close to the size of the Asakura mansion.

The owner of the mansion was waiting at the entrance and personally opened the limo door for Hao's father, much to the driver's irritation.

"L-l-lord Asakura! What a pleasure it is to see you!" Harasuke stammered. _Dear God, please don't let him kill me! I haven't collected any more money! It's that damn boy's fault! _Hao heard.

After they had sat down and been served tea, Hao's father said, "So, Harasuke. Do you have my money?"

"N-n-no, my lord. I am so sorry but I do not."

"And why is that?"

"It's his fault!" Harasuke said quickly, trying to put the blame on someone else. "He and that gang of his have been undermining my authority is the city! People have been moving to where he lives because they think that he can protect them."

"Protect them," said the Lord Asakura, frowning. "How?"

"I do not know how, my lord. He can somehow create a barrier that my men are unable to pass through."

"A barrier…. Hmmm. Keep talking. What else do you know? About this barrier. And the boy."

"The barrier is, for the most part, completely clear. However, it does shimmer a little in the sunlight. And it is as solid as the walls of my home. But I do not know much about the boy. He lives in an abandoned apartment in the west side of town with several other children. He has brown hair and eyes and he is known as Yoh."

Hao's father jumped at the name. "Yoh!? Are you sure?!"

"Y-y-yes! My lord, I am positive," Harasuke stuttered.

"Hao! Is he telling the truth?"

"Yes, father. He believes it to be true."

The Lord Asakura frown deepened as he thought. Hao was dying to know what his father was thinking, but he did not dare read his mind.

Finally, he spoke. "A boy who can make barriers may prove to be useful. Hao, I want you to go and gather as much information as you can on this boy. I want to know everything. You have a week. After that, you come to me and report. Then, I shall decide whether or not it will be worth my time to take him. I will be staying here while you are gone. Now take what you need and go."

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That's it!! Hope you liked it! And again, sorry it's so short!

Now all you lovely people who have read my story need to write me a review as a graduation present!! Yay! Two months 'till college!

And to all the even lovelyer people who have already reviewed, y'all are so my heroes!!

One thing I would like y'all to tell me about is my writing style.

Is it too choppy?

Not enough detail?

Do I need to descride things better?

I want to make this story as good as I can for y'all; so if you can tell me what I can do the make it better I would really appresiate it and definatly think about what you said!

Again, thanks! The next chapter WILL be longer! :D And Hao will meet up with Yoh! Yay! XD

Have a nice day!! Love y'all!


	6. Chapter 5 Rain & Meeting

Hao: (sees Jisa reading fanfiction) There she is! Get her!!

Jisa: (shock!) What?!

Hao and Ren: (ties her legs up and her hands to the keyboard. closes out the story she was reding)

Jisa: NO!! You didn't bookmark it! T_T Wah!

Hao: Yoh. The Notebook.

Yoh: (pute notebook in front of Jisa. opens it to chapter 5)

Jisa: (looks at Yoh with teary puppy eyes) Yoh?

Yoh: Sorry, Jisa. But you need to write.

Jisa: (bows head) Ok (starts typing)

Ren: Disclamer:: Jisa doesn't own us or our show. In fact we probably own her.

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Rain

Thunder boomed in the distance as Yoh and Ren walked back home. Ren looked out the sky with concern on his face. He looked back at Yoh.

Yoh was very pale. He had, once again, worked way too hard. He always did that: felt the urge to help people even at his own expense. Yeah, Howard had paid them. They had to eat after all. However the amount they had received paled in comparison to the amount they should have. But once _again_ Yoh had taken only the most necessary amount.

To put it mildly, it pissed Ren off. He was not mad at Yoh. _Of course not._ Nor was he mad at Howard, who had failed to talk Yoh into taking more money. _Yoh was __**very**__ stubborn._ He was infuriated with the world. The stupid, screwed up world where no one cared enough to do things for each other without any motivation save the kindness of their own hearts. No one except Yoh and some of the most innocent kids who had yet to grow up and experience the harsh realities of life.

Yet Ren had no idea how idea how Yoh had stayed so caring. He knew that Yoh had a very hard childhood. It had been hard when Ren and Yoh had first met so he knew it had been even harder when Yoh had been alone. But through all that he had still managed to stay just so…. _warm._ Yes, that described Yoh perfectly. Warm and bright. Yoh had a light that lit up the surrounding area where ever he went. He made people _want_ to care. He made them _try_ to be kind. Yet the world was just so messed up that wanting and trying were not enough to put people into action. Yoh seemed to think that people needed someone to go into action first. So that was what he did; he led by example. And it seemed to work. After all, Ren was the way he was because of Yoh.

He looked back at the object of his musing and jumped in shock. Yoh was _grey_ and shaking with the effort it took him to take a step forward.

"You idiot!" Ren yelled as he ran to Yoh's side, wrapping an arm around his waist to help support him. "Why didn't you say anything?! No, wait. I _know_ why." Ren sighed in mild irritation and started mumbling to himself.

"Sorry, Ren," Yoh said weakly. Ren snorted.

"I know; I know. Let's just get home before something happens."

It seemed that Ren spoke too soon, for the second the words passed his lips the rain that had been threatening their entire trek home finally decided to let loose.

"Shit!" Ren yelled viciously. This was not good. Yoh was already weak. This rain would make things so much worse. He could not let Yoh get sick.

"Come on, Yoh," Ren said softly as he pulled Yoh down the street toward an alleyway. Yoh did not say anything; he just followed along, barely hanging on to consciousness.

Ren's eyes darted around, quickly examining every nook and cranny of the ally. His ears were on high alert for any sound, not that it would do much good in the downpour that seemed to be trying to drown them.

The shortest way home was through a very dangerous part of the city that was controlled by a gang called the X-Laws. Their leader, a girl by the name of Jean, was constantly trying to persuade Yoh to join them on their mission to rid the city of the Asakura's influence. Yoh disliked them because they used very violent means to get what they wanted. They had even gained access to firearms.

During the past few weeks, the X-Laws had been trying to get control over the parts of the city surrounding Yoh's territory. Yoh hadn't been too concerned with is, saying that he could drive them back if things got out of hand. But now that small nuisance had become a problem. Ren boldly crossed into their area, half dragging half carrying Yoh. While his nervousness did not show on his face he was very concerned. He was a good fighter, having trained every day, but good skills could not compete against the numbers and firepower the X-Laws had.

The sky continued to darken as the clouds rolled in, bringing more rain. A shadow moved off to Ren's left. He jerked his head in that direction, looked around, and quickly looked the other way. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the second-in-command of the X-Laws, Marco.

"Hello, Ren. What brings you here?" Marco said with a confident smirk on his face.

"Let us pass, Marco." Ren answered. "We're just going home."

"I don't think so. I can't let an opportunity like this get by. It's not every day that I find the great Yoh unable to stand up on his own. I find I like this view of him. Heh, he'll probably be easier to persuade this way."

_Shit,_ Ren thought. _What am I going to do now?_

Meeting

Gun powder exploded. Bits of lead, steal, and other metals turned into flying shrapnel, tearing into the hands of the unfortunate men who held the guns that had just been turned into a crude variation of a grenade.

Hao flicked his wrist again. Another pistol detonated. He was beginning to find these people annoying. No, scratch that. They were past annoying. He was getting pissed off. They were just like his father; thinking they were powerful just because they held a powerful weapon. Well, they didn't like it too much when it exploded in their face. Hao was charged again; this time a man with a knife.

With a snort and an eye roll, Hao dodged the swing and performed a round kick to his attackers side. Ribs snapped. The man gasped in pain and surprise, his hands dropping the knife and clutching his aching side. Hao surveyed the scene. About eight men were lying on the ground; all injured, though most only minor. Non, however, were able to continue fighting.

Softly sighing, Hao continued walking toward where Yoh and his gang had been reported living. Every person he had passed so far had no thoughts running through their heads about Yoh. And he had been looking for hours. To make matters worse, dark storm clouds were looming above, threatening the earth with a flood of water. He would need to find some place to stay quickly.

Running footsteps alerted Hao to the location of more people. He grinned as their thoughts flowed through his mind, bringing with them the information he had been looking for. '_Quick this way!' ' Yoh has been spotted in our territory!' 'Yoh! Finally!'_

_Hmm…_ Hao thought. _It seems I'm not the only one looking for this Yoh. Heh, this gives me an idea._ Quietly, he followed the group of men. It was not very hard. They certainly made enough noise.

With a great boom of thunder, the rain started bumping buckets of water. _How annoying._ Hao thought with a growl. He hated getting wet.

Finally, they came to a stop. In the middle of a street, a young, purple haired teen stood, glaring and supporting another. _Why is Yoh passed out?_ The conscious boy wasn't Yoh obviously. His thoughts revolved around "getting Yoh to safety." And everyone else seemed gleeful to find "the great Yoh" unconscious. Hao glowered. For some reason that really pissed him off.

He stepped out from behind his cover. Immediately the purple haired boy's eyes snapped to him and widened. Everyone else turn as well and performed a similar start of surprise. _What?_ Hao knew he looked pretty bad with his long brown hair plastered to his head thanks to the rain, but did they have to be so rude? Hao turned to the person blocking the purple haired boy's path.

"Don't you know it's not nice to block other people when they're trying to get out of the rain? You could be more polite. That guy doesn't look too good," Hao said, pointing to Yoh.

The seemed to be leader frowned. "What?! Are there two of you?"

Now it was Hao's turn to frown. What was with these people? "It doesn't matter. Now get out of the way or prepare to have your asses handed to you."

"I don't think so. We've been waiting far too long for an opportunity like this to show up and I'm not letting it pass just because some Yoh look-a-like wants me too." He pulled a pistol and pointed it at Hao. "Now what do you say?"

Hao rolled his eyes again and flicked his wrist in answer. The gun exploded. "Now what do _you_ say? And please don't waste my time like all those other guys did. These two aren't going anywhere with you."

"Other guys?"

"Yeah. A ways back there you'll find what I think are a bunch of your men. They wouldn't let me pass either. Your answer?"

"Fine. We'll let him off the hook this time." He signaled to his men and left.

Hao snorted. "How gracious of you." He turned to the two teens. "Wha-!" He stopped suddenly when he got a look at the unconscious boy's face. _What's going on?_

* * *

Wah! Sooooo sorry! Ugh, I took so long. (bows head in shame) Gomen!

But here it is! (does happy dance) And it's long too.

But wow. Just writing 1500 words killed me! I don't see how some people can write chapters with 15000! They are so my heroes!

So, lets see. About the fic. Did y'all like it?

Does anyone read YGO fanfic? 'Cause if you do you'll know what I mean when I say I'm going to make Hao and Yoh's relationship Yami 'n Hikari ish.

This won't be Yaoi. So if that'll bother you, don't worry. And if you do like it there will be a _little_ shonen ai. Not much, just some light fluff.

About the Yami and Hikari thing: Yamis and Hikaris are two halves of the same soul (cough Hao and Yoh) and they complete each other.

So that's how they'll be. Message or review me if you have any comments. I'll always listen.

Ja ne!


	7. Chapter 6 Double & Confusion

Wow. A miracle has happened. I actually updated without being nagged. Heh, I'm getting better. Well, here it is. It's a bit short but I've already started the next one, so it should be out soon. Hope you like it! XD

Double

Ren stared in shock at Yoh's double. The boy looked almost exactly like him except for the hair length. While Yoh had brown hair that was a few inches shy of brushing his shoulders, this boy had hair that was much longer, almost waist length. The only other difference was their eyes. Where Yoh's chocolate colored eyes were a rich, happy, warm color, the other had eyes that were hard and deep. They seemed to suck you in and hold you there with the intensity of the gaze.

Another thing that was alarming, though somehow not surprising, was that he had Power also. He seemed different from Yoh's, however. Ren had never seen Yoh blow something up.

Eyeing the double and holding Yoh close, Ren asked, "What do you want?"

That seemed to snap the other out of his self inflicted daze for he jerked his eyes from Yoh's face to Ren's. "Umm… I just saw them hassling you two – they had been bugging me as well – and decided to help out. He doesn't look too good." He pointed to Yoh.

"Thanks but I've got it. He's just tired. Home is not too far away." Ren started to walk in his intended direction before the X-Laws had interrupted them. He didn't really trust the other boy and wished Yoh was awake. He was always a good judge of character.

"Wait! I just want to help. I heard that there was someone in this city who also had power like me and I just wanted—" He trailed off, his gaze back on Yoh, eyes slowly widening.

Yoh twitched it Ren's arms. "Yoh! You're awake! This guy just showed up and—"

"It's ok. You can trust him." Yoh turned his eyes away from his double and smiled softly at Ren. "He pretty good." He leaned his head back on Ren's shoulder. "Sorry, but-" his eyes closed "-I'm not going to be able to help you out much."

Yoh had passed out again. Ren frowned. _What to do._ Yoh had given this guy the clear, but he didn't even know he had Power. _Well, he's never let me down before. Let's see how good this guy is._

Confusion

"Wait! I just want to help. I heard that there was someone in this city who also had power like me and I just wanted—" Hao's voice trailed off as he found himself being pulled into the gaze of a pair of warm, brown eyes.

A torrent of emotions and thoughts rushed through him. While that itself was not odd, the fact that they were all his was unusual. The emotions ranged from fear and panic to an odd sense of peace. It was all confusing. But the most perplexing thing was when he realized that he could not hear Yoh's thoughts.

_What? That only happens with Father!_ The fear slightly increased before Hao common sense kicked in. _Stop you're being irrational. He has nothing to do with him. But… Are his thoughts completely blocked?_

Hao reached out with his mind… and ran into a wall. _He can block me out?!_ A small smile graced Yoh's lips before he answered a question the other boy had asked. And his response shook Hao's world.

"It's ok. You can trust him. He's pretty good." A wave of self loathing rushed though him. _Is he out of his mind? I'm not good at all! I'm here to possibly bring him to my psychopathic father!_

His internal ranting was so loud that he missed what else happened between Yoh and the other boy. He was shocked when his arms were suddenly filled with Yoh. That shock doubled when the other boy's thoughts cut off.

Hao snapped his eyes to him. "What are you—"

"You wanted to help. Now let's get going." He started walking off. " Oh, and I'm Ren. That's Yoh."

_What the hell? How did he go from not wanting to get within ten feet of me to dropping his passed out friend into my arms?_ Was Yoh's word that he could be trusted so strong that he took it as fact? _Wow._ That brought a knew aspect to Yoh's character. He provoked a lot of loyalty.

Hao looked down at the object of his thoughts. He was holding him bridal style so his head was resting on Hao's shoulder. Yoh's face was so calm and peaceful; he looked as though he didn't have a care in the world. He was so light too; he felt so fragile.

A completely foreign emotion flowed through Hao. Protectiveness. He wanted more than anything to protect him. To have Yoh grace him with a smile that lit up his warm eyes and made Hao feel like the world wasn't as much of a hell hole as he thought it was.

_What's happening to me?_ Hao began to panic and pulled Yoh closer to him. _How can I feel like this? I shouldn't!_ But he couldn't deny that it felt good. He liked feeling to warmth of another person. He liked knowing that this person needed him to keep him safe and protected. _What am I going to do?_

"Hey!" Hao's head snapped up. "Are you coming or not? Yoh's going to get sick if we don't hurry." That brought Hao's feet to sudden activeness.

"Sorry. How far is it?"

"Not much farther. About ten minutes if we go fast. What's your name?"

"Oh, sorry again. I'm Hao."

There it is! I'll see y'all next chapter! Ja ne!


	8. Chapter 7 Dreams & Craziness

Yay! New chapter! Hope y'all like it!

* * *

Dreams

It was dark and soft and oh so wonderfully warm. But the softness was closing in and becoming tight and painful and it hurt! The soft, warm darkness shouldn't hurt.

But even though the world was shrinking everything was going to be fine because he was there. He made everything better. Made it a little warmer and softer and the hurt go away a little. And even though the hurt wouldn't leave completely he was still enough the smiles and giggles and fuzzy feelings come.

But something was happening. He was being taken away! No! He can't be taken! Mustn't let! Please! The pain is more and it hurts! And it's colder…

Why? Why is he being taken? Or is he leaving?

No! He promised together forever! 'Cause he is needed and needs! Needs the quiet and the light. He doesn't like the dark! He says that togetherness makes light. Light he sees and needs and must have! And quiet! Togetherness makes quiet too! Without togetherness the world screams at him and it hurts…

No! He is gone… Can feel it… He is crying! No, he shouldn't have to cry. Not him.

He is farther away… The world is closing in. It hurts. It hurts him too… He hurts!

Tears… So many tears. He makes the tears go away. Where is he??

He is calling. Crying. Alone. Can't find him! Where is he?

Craziness

Hao and Ren arrived at a large, rundown apartment. _This was where Yoh lived?_ It looked like it could fall over at any time!

Ren noticed his expression and smirked. "Don't worry. It's better than it looks. We've done a lot of work on the inside. Plus, it's good camouflage. How many people would think that someone lived in here?"

"Hmm. Good point. So… Do we go in?"

"Not yet. Yoh has to wake up first." Ren walked up to where Hao was still carrying the passed out Yoh and gently brushed his bangs away from his face. "Yoh. Yoh wake up. We need the barrier taken down."

Barrier? _Hmmm… Now that I think about it. The building does seem to shimmer a little._

Yoh slowly opened his eyes and groggily looked up at Ren. "Ren?" he questioned, exhaustion still fogging his mind.

"Barrier, Yoh."

"Oh. Yeah." He turned his gaze to the apartment building and raised a hand. His fingers snapped and, to Hao, everything seemed to flash. He shook his head and blinked a couple of times. _That was weird._

With that done, Yoh sighed, looking even paler. "Please, don't wake me up for at least a week." That said, he set his head back on Hao's shoulder, let out another long sigh, and allowed his exhaustion to lull him back into unconsciousness.

Ren eyed Hao, giving him a calculating and almost contemplating look.

Hao looked awkward. "So I guess that, by the look you're giving me, he doesn't always fall asleep in the arms of complete strangers?"

"Of course not." Ren snorted. "I've never even seen him this relaxed before. You must be some person."

"Do you always accept his opinion so easily?"

"Yeah. He's never been wrong. And every time I didn't listen to him, it's always come back to kick me in the butt."

_What does that mean about me?_ Hao thought. _Is he that good a judge of character? But how can he be. He actually liked me._

Those thoughts spun through Hao's head as he and Ren climbed the stairs to their floor. Who was Yoh? How did he have powers? And most importantly, why did he look so much like him? Confusion overpowered all other emotions until he felt he would go crazy.

Along with the hundreds of other possibilities that crossed his mind, the idea that they were related came up. _But if we are related why doesn't Father have him. And even if we are brothers or something that doesn't explain why we look exactly alike. Even people who are brothers don't look like we do. Except twins… But that makes even less sense! Father knew I was going to have powers before I was born so he should have known Yoh would have them too. And even if he didn't know, he wouldn't have let anyone take him to live somewhere else. He would've killed him. _

_But if we are related… What would that mean? Would he stay with me? _

_Of course not. No one else does._

_But Yoh did. He didn't leave my arms. Maybe I won't be alone._

Hao looked at the flights of stairs they had yet to climb and tried to find something to take his mind off his problematic thoughts. _Ugh, this is a lot of stairs. Good thing Yoh is so light._

He glanced at Ren. _Hmmmm… He's pretty ok to be around. His thoughts don't yell out at me._ In fact he couldn't even hear Ren's thoughts now that he thought about it. _Wonder why that is. _

He reached out with his mind and met a thin mental shielding that didn't surround Ren but encompassed Hao and Yoh. _That's odd._ He soon found that he could go through it, and when he did he heard the low buzzing of Ren's thoughts.

_Huh._ _And Yoh's are still silent._ Normally, if he was around someone asleep, he could hear their dreams. The fact that he couldn't hear Yoh's meant that his mind was totally shut down or Hao couldn't read his thought at all. _It's probably the second possibility. I wonder how-_

"Omph!" Hao's train of thought was abruptly cut off as he slammed into Ren. "Why'd you-"

"We're here." Ren interrupted.

"Oh." They were standing in front of what looked like every other door in the long hall. Except that, Hao noticed, the hinges were a little less rusted and the door nod looked slightly newer.

Ren banged on the door four times and waited. His knocking was answered by an irritated looking girl.

"Where have you been!? It's an hour and a half after you said you'd be here and…" Her scolding tapered off as she noticed Hao. An angered look appeared on her face shortly followed by a fearful one as she saw Yoh's condition. "Come on." She waved them in.

Hao stepped inside only to be bombarded with questions given by two energetic children. Alarmed and not accustomed to loud kids, he stepped back, clutching Yoh to him, and bumped into the door Ren had just closed.

"Hey!" the girl called. "Jared, go get towels and bring them here; Lauren, get some clothes Ren, Yoh, and the other boy can change into." As the two attacking children ran off to fulfill her requests, she stepped closer to Hao and reached out to feel Yoh's forehead. "Ren, you idiot, he's too hot! He's going to get sick."

Ren looked angered at that remark and retorted, " It's not like I could stop anywhere! Yoh worked too hard again; you know how he is. We had to walk slower and got caught in the rain. Then we were attacked and it all went to hell from there. This is Hao. He saved our butts." The girl looked suspicious and raised an eyebrow. "Yoh woke up long enough to lower the Barrier and give him the all clear."

"Hmmm. Alright then. Horo! Go start heating up the bath water. Mickale, set up a bed for Yoh." She turned back to Hao. " I'm Anna. Bring Yoh over here and let's get both of you out of your wet clothes. Hao?" At his nod she continued. "You can go change in that room. You and Yoh are about the same size so you can use some of his clothes." Ren came up and held out his arms for Yoh.

For a second, a moment of panic flashed through Hao. _They want to take him! No!_ But then it passed, and with a slight twinge of reluctance, he passed Yoh to Ren.

The moment he did, the thoughts of everyone in the room, except Yoh, came crashing through his mind. He flinched and looked longingly back at Yoh, who Ren was taking to get changed.

Anna held out some clothes and a towel to him and pointed to the room he was to change in. With a small sigh, he turned and left the main room. While he was sad to leave Yoh, he was glad to get out of the wet clothes. He was starting to get a little cold.

He took this time, while everyone else was fussing over Yoh, to get a better look at the rooms. There were only three: the main one, what looked like the bathroom, and what he suspected to be a closet. By looking at the walls and floor of the main room, Hao guessed that it had been the old apartment's living room, bedroom, and kitchen; someone had just taken down all the walls separating the rooms and made it into one large room. He could see places where wallpaper had covered one of the old rooms and where another had paint.

One side of the main room had an old stove and refrigerator, along with cabinets and countertops. Another had rows of book shelves. The floor was covered in a multitude of rugs.

The thing that had Hao thinking the most was how clean the place was. While it, of course, wasn't as clean as his father's mansion had been, it was as clean as people living without electricity could get it. The rugs didn't kick up dust when they were walked on. Although the paint and wallpaper was missing in many places, it was not peeling and sending bits of paper and paint everywhere. Even the unused stove and the windows were spotless. It gave him an insight to what kind of people Yoh was living with.

With a small smile, Hao turned back to the bathroom and, after closing the door, proceeded to strip out of his soaking clothes. While doing this, he examined the bathroom as well. Minus the cracked tiles and peeling paint, this room looked like a normal bathroom.

Upon twisting one of the sink knobs, he discovered they had running water, though he doubted it was heated. _Hmmm… I wonder how they heat it…_ he thought as he towel dried his hair.

He held up the black t-shirt he had been handed. _Looks like Yoh's._ He brought it to his face, closed his eyes, and inhaled. _Smells like Yoh's. Wait, smells?! What's the matter with me!?_

_Nothing's the matter with you. Yoh just makes you happy. _

_Happy._

_Yeah, happy. Something you've never been before. Now shut up and get dressed._

_Well, great. Not only am I smelling other peoples clothes but now I'm talking to myself and actually getting an answer. I've cracked. _

Quickly, he put the clothes on but paused and took another whiff of the shirt. _Oranges. He smells like oranges._

* * *

Weeeeeellll. There it is! Tell me wacha think! XD

Ja ne!


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